About The Essential Life
WELCOME TO THE ESSENTIAL LIFE…WASTING LESS AND LIVING MORE
Hi, I’m Elle Welcome to my quiet corner of the Internet where I share my systems and life experiences to help you create a more natural, sustainable, and mindful life while taking care of your family, friends and SELF. (Don’t forget about her!)
I’m a recovering perfectionist who has turned her focus on cultivating the most essential elements of life and letting go of the rest. The Essential Life was created to help you waste less time, energy and money on the things that don’t matter and empower you to take control over your small daily choices.
The essentials include all things home-related; from your body where you house your soul; to your home where you house your family. We tackle motherhood, organization, home decor, food, raising children and of course soul care (because without it you can’t take care anything or anyone else!).
We choose our paths with the long game in mind. Our choices are made out of love, not fear and we are consciously aware of how we are spending our time. Because as Annie Dillard spells out so plainly “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” I want to help you make choices out of love, not fear, and be conscious of how you are spending your time.
My ideas are influenced by my beliefs in God, the power of our thoughts and a knowing that gratitude is usually a part of the answer. If this sounds like something you want to be a part of then please read on.
My natural desire to live an uncomplicated life drew me to minimalism. The philosophy promises peace and unrivaled happiness. However, when I’d try to execute a true minimalist life it didn’t quite work. Does this sippy cup spark joy? Nope! But would I be sad tomorrow if I didn’t have it when I am packing my daughter’s lunch? Yep! How about this beautiful Kate Spade dress that I bought for 75% off that I only wear once every three years? Um yes, yes, it does. But according to leading experts the amount I wear it bumps it out of the keeper pile.
I was a career gal, turned work from home mom, that needed answers on how to live. I started searching for the “right answer” through all the online articles, books and magazines I could find. I wanted to do things “right” and find the perfect solutions so that it would all be OK. But I just never seemed to find what I was looking for. In fact, at times my searching would leave me feeling empty and like something, (if not everything) was wrong.
After a while it became a growing frustration. I’d be so aggravated that my closet dared to have clothes with the audacity to just hang there. And in a variety of colors; nonetheless! It wasn’t all monochromatic and my dresses were not all the same length. I realized this was not realistic or attainable. I also realized that I didn’t really want that. After all, I didn’t want to wear the same thing everyday like a cartoon character. I was aiming for a standard of perfection that was too high and it was making me miserable. All I wanted were realistic solutions that would empower me to create the life I deserved.
My search for answers led me to the conclusion that yes, I needed the right systems so I could have a healthy amount of control, but I also needed to feel a sense of freedom, peace, acceptance and gratitude. If the toys were always put away then, I wouldn’t have happy little people. I’m most comfortable in a house that is all clean and picked up. Yet I love that my girls play extensively. The love hate relationship that exists between the messes they create and discovering a new layer of their imaginations runs deep at times.
I found that I didn’t fit into any of the boxes that were out there for lifestyle and organization. And it got me wondering who does? If we all fit would we still be scrolling Pinterest at 11pm for answers?
The Essential Life was born out of my need to have answers that took into account that I was a person with interests, and a mother. There are many aspects to who we are that need to be taken into consideration before someone can tell you how your life should be. I needed to figure this out for myself and I hope that some of what I have learned becomes a force for good in your life. I’ll share with you the systems, philosophies, recipes and stories that I’ve found over the years and my prayer would be that it inspires you, solves some of your lifestyle problems and leaves you with a sense of power, peace and satisfaction.
It’s a daily practice and sometimes a battle to use my resources wisely. But in wasting less, I find that I come away with so much more from life.
If your are ready to Embrace The Essential Life and let go of the rest, then I invite you to join me on this journey.
We all have limits on our resources including time, money and energy. Here at the Essential Life we will make time for reflection and evaluation and become aware of where our resources are going. Together we will reclaim our time and create space for the things that will make our lives both amazing and realistic.
So…. take a deep breath and get ready to take back your time and enjoy your life! It’s a big endeavor to live consciously but so worth it. Because your minutes make up your hours. Your hours make up your days and the days become your life.